Baby Ethie
by Hallow Sisters On My Mind
Summary: Based on Series Two Episode Eight Miss Cackle's Birthday. What if Ethel had been the one to be turned into a baby and what if a certain other blonde was there and Enid seeks her help? This is my take on that moment. WW 2017. Oneshot. Series 2.


A/N: Idea I got from the Miss Cackle's Birthday episode where Maud is turned into a baby, what if it had been Ethel instead? This is a story just about that. Review would be appreciated.

* * *

 **Baby Ethie**

Enid Nightshade stepped outside her bedroom to see if the coast was clear but she gasped as she saw Esmerelda Hallow of all people walking towards her. The young blonde was not even a pupil anymore as she had lost her magic at the end of the previous year. The girl was dressed quite causally and had her hair down and curled and looked quite different from her school days. She was walking down the corridor appearing to be looking for something as she was moving her head back and forth. Enid turned around to sneak back into her room hoping she didn't see her.

"Hi Enid" the older girl said and Enid turned around faking a smile.

"Oh well Met Esmerelda, what brings you here?" Enid asked only realising it was a stupid question after she asked it.

"I wanted to see my sisters, have you seen Ethel?" Esmerelda asked as she continued to look around.

"NO!" Enid replied to quickly and Esmerelda eyed her suspiciously but kept talking.

"Sybie said she saw her at breakfast but she hasn't seen her since, was she in class today?" Esmie asked the girl who gulped.

"Nope, not Ethel sorry!" Enid replied trying not to act shifty. Suddenly there was a cry from inside Enid's bedroom.

"What was that?" Esmie asked the younger girl confused.

"Oh that was just…..Stormy….my cat!" Enid lied not wanting the girl to see. There was another cry and this time Esmie could tell it was a baby.

"That is a baby!" Esmie said in shock, surprised Enid had one in her room.

The crying continued and Esmie, concerned, started to walk into the room. Enid blocked her way.

"No don't trust me!" Enid said but Esmie pushed past the girl and walked into her room and Enid touched her head knowing this was going to be bad. Esmerelda was the last person she wanted to discover what her and her friends had done.

It was Esmerelda's turn to gasp as she entered the room. In Enid's room was an old fashioned pram and inside was indeed a baby dressed in the Cackles drapes from their uniform and in the purple house colours. A baby who was crying so much she was red in the face but her hair was distinguishably blonde. Esmie turned to look at Enid.

"What have you done to my sister?" Esmerelda asked knowing it was Ethel by not just the hair and uniform but her face, she had seen Ethel as a baby before after all.

"It was an accident, Sybil said she was worried about how depressed Ethel was so Mildred, Maud and I decided to give her a happiness spell to cheer her up, I didn't realise it took someone back to the last time they were happy and well...now she is a baby" Enid told Esmerelda. Baby Ethel cried louder and screamed. Enid moaned.

"Look I am sorry, do what you want to me but can you stop her crying first? She has being like that for over an hour and I have tried everything but she keeps throwing things at me or sending sparks at me, make it stop please" Enid complained covering her ears.

* * *

Esmerelda looked at Enid with a look of amazement and even threw in a glare but she did look down at the screaming Ethel and then she reached her hands into the pram gently supporting the baby's head as she lifted her out of the pram and into her arms.

"Oh what is the matter Ethie?" Esmerelda asked her sister in a cooing voice.

The girl moved the baby so she was lying in her arms and gently started to rock her back and forth, Ethel started to soothe straight away and Enid was amazed.

"How did you do that? I have being trying to make her stop crying for an hour and a half!" Enid commented amazed the older girl could lift up Ethel and she already starts to calm down. Esmerelda sat on Enid's bed, the baby lying gently in her arms. She smiled down at her sister before she spoke.

"Well did you try picking her up?" Esmerelda asked her.

"No, I don't know how to hold a baby, I tried singing to her but she just screamed more" Enid replied and Esmerelda laughed.

"Well you don't have the best voice" Esmerelda replied.

"Hey!" Enid said insulted even though she knew it was true. Esmie continued to rock the baby Ethel and pretty soon the baby was cooing away, no longer crying.

"I think she might know it is you" Enid replied as baby Ethel was acting like she knew Esmerelda and was comfortable with her. She was snuggling into Esmie like a baby would do when they knew their mummy was there.

"Probably, I don't know if the spell you used changes their memories, maybe that is why she wouldn't settle, Ethie will not settle for Enid Nightshade" Esmerelda told the girl who nodded.

"Good point, no wonder she was screaming so much" Enid replied just watching the girl in fascination. She knew she had sisters but she was so amazing at this.

"What did Enid do to you Ethie?" Esmerelda asked the baby before kissing her head. Ethel looked at her contently.

"Do you know how to reverse this?" Enid asked Esmerelda hoping she did.

"I can't really help you Enid, I have no magic" Esmie replied with a bittersweet smile as she looked at her sister.

"You don't need magic, I just need to know the spell" Enid replied needing help.

"Well sorry I don't know it, I have never had to turn someone back to normal, I have never turned anyone into a baby" Esmerelda replied

"I am going to have to go to Miss Cackle aren't I?" Enid replied with a sigh and Esmie nodded.

"Yes as cute as she is my sister can't stay like this, we need to change her back" Esmerelda logically replied knowing as nice as it was to be able to cuddle Ethie in her arms like this it was kind of weird as well and honestly she loved Ethel at the age she is.

Enid watched as Ethel's eyes started to close slightly as she was falling asleep and Enid had to say something before she went to Cackle.

"I don't know how you do it you know, I know you have siblings but you can't of looked after them that much at the time when they were babies as you were only young yourself" Enid commented wondering how she was so good at this.

"I used to help my grandmother look after my sisters and I have had years of practise, and I know how to look after Ethie" Esmerelda replied rocking Ethel more just like a mother would with her baby and Enid knew one thing was for sure, the girl was going to be an exceptional mother one day.

Suddenly out of nowhere Mildred and Maud walked into the room, probably to ask Enid where Ethel was. They both saw Esmerelda holding her sister and Mildred stepped forward to look at Ethel to see if she was asleep. Baby Ethel focused her blue eyes on Mildred and then started to scream loudly. The trio of friends covered their ears.

"Good grief that baby has lungs on her" Maud commented trying to block the screaming out.

"I only looked at her" Mildred commented with her ears covered seeing Esmerelda trying to settle her.

"I think that was enough, sorry Mildred I don't think Ethel likes you even as a baby" Enid replied as Ethel screamed her head off.

' _Hush little Ethie, don't say a word, Esmie's going to buy you an….gold cauldron'_

The trio suddenly started to lower their hands as they realised Esmerelda was singing to Ethel.

' _If that gold cauldron melts...Esmie's going to buy you a toy broomstick'_

Baby Ethel was watching intensely, she wasn't screaming anymore just listening.

' _If that toy broomstick won't fly, Esmie's going to buy you a familiar_

 _If that familiar goes and gets lost, you'll still have me to love you lots'_

Ethel was sound asleep now and Esmie kissed her head again.

"Were they the correct words?" Mildred asked her.

"Yes, except the Ethie and Esmie bit" Esmerelda replied. Mildred looked at her friends who were both wearing looks not knowing whether they should cry at the sweetness or not.

"Right I think it is about time we went to Miss Cackle, will you be alright with her?" Enid asked her, but Esmie was not listening anymore she was just looking at Ethie. Maud lead her friends out of the room and then Maud let a tear fall as they left the room.

"I don't know about you but that was adorable" Enid told the group as they went to see Ada and told her everything.

* * *

Ada listened to everything and sighed before asking them the obvious question as there was no baby in the office now.

"And where is Ethel now?" Ada asked as they had not told her that bit.

"With Esmerelda" Mildred replied. The woman narrowed her eyebrows and lifted her hand and Esmie appeared holding baby Ethie. Ada stood up and rushed over smiling at the baby.

"Oh she is sweet" Ada said before looking at Esmie "I hope you don't mind we have to change her back" Ada told the young girl. She knew Esmie loved her sisters but she just hoped she hadn't got to attached to her sister as a baby.

"It is okay miss, she is still sweet when she is big and I miss her voice" Esmerelda replied and Enid whispered to Maud and Enid.

"I think she is the only one to miss it" Enid said and her two friends smiled, everyone else was glad of the peace.

Ada cast a spell and suddenly Ethel was standing there, back to her thirteen year old self and she looked around confused.

"What is going on?" Ethel asked as she looked around not noticing Esmie stood behind her still with her arms clutched as if she was rocking a baby.

"How much time do you have, It is a long story" Esmerelda said from behind her.

Ethel turned around saw her sister and leaped on her.

"Esmie!" Ethel said hugging her tightly and Esmerelda hugged her back promising to tell Ethel about what had happened later but right now she was happy that Ethel was back, she did love Ethel as a baby but having her hug her back was much better. She loved hearing Ethel say her name so excited and hug her happily and Esmie was glad to have her sister back and be able to do that.


End file.
